Puxian Walnuts

Puxian Walnuts

Puxian Walnuts are a product with a geographical indication.

　　In the height of summer, when you visit the rural areas of Puxian, you’ll see lush walnut orchards everywhere—lining the roadsides, in front of and behind houses, along vegetable plots and ditches, and among the forests on the hillsides.

　　Puxian is located in the broken terrain and gully region of the Loess Plateau, with deep soil layers averaging 960 meters in elevation. Its geographical environment and climate conditions are ideal for walnut cultivation. In recent years, the county’s Party committee and government have focused on both immediate needs and long-term goals, centering their development strategy on “establishing the county through ecological conservation and strengthening it with distinctive industries.” They have expanded and strengthened the walnut industry, turning it into a “sky-scraping tree” that boosts the rural economy, a “money tree” that increases farmers’ incomes, a “long-term wealth tree” that benefits future generations, and an “ecological tree” that builds a beautiful homeland.

　　Puxian Xingnong Walnut Professional Cooperative

　　Geographic Scope

　　Puxian is located in the southern part of Shanxi Province, at the southern end of the Lüliang Mountains and the northwest of Linfen City. It is part of the loess hilly and gully region in northwestern Shanxi. The county administers 9 townships and 93 administrative villages. Its terrain is mountainous on the east, south, and north sides, and is generally divided into the eastern rocky mountainous area and the western broken terrain and gully area. The central and western parts feature loess ridge landforms, mostly covered with loess. The walnut cultivation area of Puxian is located in the central and western parts of the county, at elevations between 900 and 1,500 meters, with an average elevation of 1,300 meters. The geographical coordinates span from 36°11′36″ to 36°33′16″ north latitude and from 110°51′09″ to 111°15′16″ east longitude. The area involves 6 townships—Hongdao, Pucheng, Xueguan, Guxian, Shanzhong, and Heilongguan—and 52 administrative villages: Xipingyuan, Erlǐ, Hongdao, Baozi, Handian, Baidian, Taifu, Gupo, Menggu, Chengguan, Zaolin, Rujia Ping, Diaokou, Nanyao, Caojiaguo, Nianwa, Jingpo, Tao Wan, Guxian, Xialiu, Haoyi, Wen Cheng, Pandi, Renyi, Cun Village, Baicun, Xueguan, Jingou, Guyi, Luedong, Qiaozitan, Quanxue, Fo Lian, Nanyu, Diaoping, Buzhu, Tianquan, Changjiawan, Jundi, Shankou, Xiajinding, Zaojiahe, Chuan Nanling, Baijiazhuang, Shanzhong, Xiaojia Gou, Zhongduo, Wujiagou, Huanle, Limzhang, Songjiagou, Qianzhuang. The total walnut planting area is 6,700 hectares, with an annual production of 5,000 tons.

　　Product Quality Characteristics

　　1. External Sensory Features: Puxian walnuts are square-oval in shape, with a transverse diameter of 30–55 mm. The shell is yellowish-white, clean, with tight sutures, no kernel leakage, and free from insect damage, mold, off-odors, cracks, empty shells, black spots, or oiliness. The nuts are free of impurities and have not undergone chemical bleaching. The moisture content is ≤8%, the kernels are easy to extract, plump, and yellowish-white in color. The average fruit weight is ≥10 g, with less than 1% empty kernels, less than 0.1% damaged kernels, and less than 0.1% kernels with black spots. The kernel extraction rate is greater than 50%. 2. Internal Quality: Puxian walnuts are rich in nutrients, containing minerals such as phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, iron, and zinc, as well as various vitamins. Testing results show: protein content ≥19%, fat content ≥59%, phosphorus content ≥386 mg/100g, vitamin E ≥14.12 μg/100g, energy ≥2,798 kJ/100g, vitamin A ≥0.10 mg/100g, vitamin B ≥0.79 mg/100g. 3. Safety Requirements: The production environment of Puxian walnuts complies with NY5310-2006 “Technical Specifications for the Growing Environment of Pollution-Free Forest and Fruit Products.” The product meets the safety standards of NY5307-2005 “Pollution-Free Deciduous Fruit Tree Nut Products” under the agricultural industry standards of the People’s Republic of China. Packaging and labeling must comply with the Ministry of Agriculture’s “Administrative Measures for the Packaging and Labeling of Agricultural Products,” and market entry must adhere to the “Agricultural Product Quality and Safety Law” and other relevant regulations.